2024 RT Amination Banner.gif

China Daily

News> World> Content
Friday, May 25, 2018, 10:25
UN resolution condemns starvation as way of warfare
By Xinhua
Friday, May 25, 2018, 10:25 By Xinhua

The UN Security Council gathers during a meeting on May 15, 2018, at UN Headquarters in New York. (HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP)

UNITED NATIONS - The UN Security Council on Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution that condemns the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare.

The resolution, put forward by Cote d'Ivoire, Kuwait, the Netherlands and Sweden, urges states to conduct investigations within their jurisdiction into violations of international humanitarian law related to the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare.

The majority of food insecure people and 75 percent of all stunted children under the age of five live in countries affected by armed conflict, amounting to 74 million people facing food insecurity or worse conditions, according to the UN.

The resolution recalls the link between armed conflict and food insecurity and recognizes the need to break the vicious cycle between them

The World Food Program (WFP) said on its website that of the 13 largest food crises in the world today, 10 - Afghanistan, Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen - are conflict-related.

In this light, the resolution recalls the link between armed conflict and food insecurity and recognizes the need to break the vicious cycle between them.

Echoing this, the WFP website quoted its executive director David Beasley as saying "the Security Council vote is a huge step forward in the effort to break the cycle of conflict and hunger."

To achieve this, Thursday's resolution calls on all parties to armed conflict to spare civilian objects including those necessary for food production and distribution such as farms, markets, water systems, mills, food processing and storage sites and so on.

It further urges all parties to protect civilian infrastructure critical to the delivery of humanitarian aid and to ensure the proper functioning of food systems and markets in situations of armed conflict.

ALSO READ: UN Security Council heads to retreat at odds over Syria

In addition, the resolution requests UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to continue to provide information on the risk of famine and food insecurity in countries with armed conflict, and to brief the Security Council every 12 months on its implementation.

Share this story